INFICOMM is a wireless, downhole technique for interrogating downhole sensors, comprising resonant circuits (e.g., tank circuits), by sending electromagnetic (EM) energy, as a signal, down a borehole, letting it interact with the downhole sensor so as to modulate the signal in a manner that is correlatable to downhole environmental conditions (e.g., temperature and/or pressure), then transmitting the modulated signal back to the surface for processing. In general, INFICOMM sensors consist of passive components and contain no internal power source.
In the wireless INFICOMM reflective signal approach, the wellbore itself acts like a coaxial cable with an insulating fluid in the annulus separating the tubing and casing. The inventors have determined that the requirement that said fluid be insulating, however, may be somewhat restrictive for particular applications.
Accordingly, the inventors have determined that it would be beneficial to enable a more universal utilization of the INFICOMM sensors, with application to borehole environments that do not include insulating fluid therein.